The points of issue
US edition states "First Edition" with a number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. Posthumous; assembled from the surviving chapters. The US edition uniquely includes a multi-page editor's note by Joseph M. Fox not present in the UK edition.
Is this the true first?
The true first is the UK edition (Hamish Hamilton, 1986), which precedes the US Random House edition (1987). The US edition is a later printing chronologically but adds the Fox editor's note.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later US printings advance the number line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US edition states "First Edition" with a number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. Posthumous; assembled from the surviving chapters. The US edition uniquely includes a multi-page editor's note by Joseph M. Fox not present in the UK edition.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The true first is the UK edition (Hamish Hamilton, 1986), which precedes the US Random House edition (1987). The US edition is a later printing chronologically but adds the Fox editor's note.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later US printings advance the number line.
I have a first edition of Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.